Immunisation has revolutionised child health in countries throughout the world State of the World's Vaccines and Immunisation.
THE UNITED Nations report on the State of the World's Vaccines and Immunisation indicates that Jamaica's immunisation coverage of the target population has grown over the last 20 years.
In 1980, coverage for the common infectious diseases tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles and poliomyelitis fell below 40 per cent of the target children population; in 2000 the coverage levels for all these diseases were well over 80 per cent of the country's children. The Jamaican data compare well with those coming out of developed countries such as Japan and the United States and certainly are much better than coverage levels in many developing states.
Without a doubt, immunisation stands among the cost-effective health interventions of the twentieth century which have significantly improved the quality of life of children - preventing death and disability. Smallpox has been eradicated; some regions are free of measles and other infectious diseases are under control.
However, these global gains could be compromised because many children in low-income countries are not benefiting from these health interventions. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, the report indicates that only about 50 per cent of children are immunised during the first year of life comparing unfavourably with the high immunisation coverage and wide access to a variety of vaccines in the wealthier countries, such as hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
The report points out that while global immunisation coverage of more than 70 per cent was sustained throughout the 1990s, these statistics mask inequality in coverage between groups within countries and between rich and poor
countries.
If the world does not sustain its global investment in immunisation, in addition to its battle with the chronic, lifestyle diseases, the report warns that the health sector will be up against the re-emergence of diseases that were once under control, the spread of diseases to countries and continents where they had been eliminated and the immense social costs of disease in the countries worst
affected.
In the area of research and development, some priority vaccines
really required at this time are ones against HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease and rotavirus diarrhoea.
The top three vaccines urgently needed now are ones to prevent HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and
malaria. The reports states that these diseases combined account for about five million deaths per year (one-half of all deaths from infectious diseases). The BCG vaccine offers, limited protection, the report states, against childhood forms of tuberculosis (TB) but immunity
is believed to wane during
adolescence.
Though vaccines are not available for these diseases there are low-cost interventions for which the report states that the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, will make funds available this year to some of the least-developed countries.
